Welfare Reform on the Web (March 2004): Welfare State - UK

BE ROBUST ABOUT RISK

Spiralling compensation against local authorities and the NHS are starving
public services of funds. Individuals are cashing in at the expense of the welfare
state and the common good.

CAN'T AFFORD TO BE CHOOSY

N. Arend and A. Lent

Public Finance, Feb. 13th-19th 2004, p.24-25

Giving public service users more choice has to go hand-in-hand with ensuring
that there is enough provision to meet the choices people want to make. User choice
means that:

public service professionals will have to change from being providers to
being facilitators;

service delivery structures and processes will have to be transformed;

services offered by the best providers will have to expand to meet demand.

LETWIN EYES WELFARE, DEFENCE AND FOREIGN AID FOR £35BN CUT

P. Waugh

The Independent, February 17th 2004, p.4

The Shadow Chancellor has announced that a future Conservative government would
increase spending on the NHS and education by 4% in the first two years. But there
would be a funding freeze on social security, transport, defence and overseas
aid. However plans to increase the state pension would be preserved. Wasteful
and inefficient programmes would be cut completely or privatised.

ONLY TAX INCREASES CAN PAY FOR BETTER SERVICES

J. Grieve Smith

Financial Times, February 19th 2004, p.17

Voters are not satisfied with present standards in health and education and
other public services. Because public services such as health and education are
labour intensive, with little room for improvement in productivity, raising standards
will be costly and taxation will have to increase. Taxes will also have to increase
to support growing numbers of retired people as the population ages. Tax reduction
can only come about through encouraging the spread of private education and healthcare.

PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO DEPENDENCY AND THE WELFARE STATE

J. Bradshaw and E. Mayhew

International Journal of Market Research, vol.46, 2004, p.49-63

Conservative politicians of the 1980s and early 1990s sought (largely unsuccessfully)
to reduce state welfare provision. New Labour's policies have been dominated by
a fear of the electoral consequences of expanding public spending and raising
taxation, and by a repulsion from dependency. In contrast, majority public opinion
has favoured improving services even if it means increasing taxation.

THE RESPONSIBILITY GAP: INDIVIDUALISM, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN TODAY

Henley Centre

London: Salvation Army, 2004

Report identifies four pillars of care in the UK today: the individual, the
government, charities and the private sector. It finds that a sense of partnership
between them has not been developed adequately, and changing views on who should
be responsible for caring for the vulnerable increases the gaps. Report highlights
shortfalls in provision such as insufficient places in residential care homes
for older people, low income families suffering from a lack of affordable childcare,
and informal carers suffering from a lack of support and respite. Points out that,
while individuals generally support the concept of volunteering, few will take
practical action. The Salvation Army intends offering more flexible opportunities
for volunteering to encourage good citizenship.

TEARAWAYS SHOULD BE PAID, BLAIR ADVISORS SAY

D. Chandler

The Times, February 20th 2004, p.14

Summarises proposals from a leaked Downing Street Strategy report on improving
people's lives in the areas of health, employment, crime and education. In health,
it proposes fining patients for non-attendance at appointments, and online support
groups for chronically ill people. In employment, it highlights two North American
schemes to reduce joblessness in deprived areas. A US system called "chain
employment" encourages companies to recruit one or two workers from deprived
areas who then act as recruiters in those areas. In Canada, people from poor areas
are given grants to work or volunteer in prosperous areas. In crime reduction,
report proposes giving young offenders incentives to stay on at school.

(See also The Guardian, February 20th 2004, p.7)

WHEN THE PRICE IS RIGHT

P. Robinson

Public Finance, Jan.30th-Feb.5th 2004, p.26-27

Government is floating proposals for introducing more extensive charging for
public services. Charging is regarded as a way of raising revenue in the context
of resistance to higher taxation, as a means of reducing demand, and as being
widely used and accepted in Europe. Author argues that where charges are used
as a supplement to taxation, they should help advance key social, environmental
or economic outcomes, rather than just being about raising revenue.